1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor laser mount for mounting a semiconductor laser on a support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been used various light beam scanning systems in which a light beam is deflected by a light deflector to scan a recording medium to record thereon various information or to read information recorded thereon. In such light beam scanning systems, there has been used a semiconductor laser as the means for generating the light beam. The semiconductor laser is advantageous over other light sources such as a gas laser in that it is small in size and inexpensive, and has low power consumption. Further, in the case of the semiconductor laser, the light beam can be directly modulated by changing the driving current. On the other hand, the semiconductor can continuously output 20 to 30 mw at most and accordingly, it has been difficult to use the semiconductor laser in light beam scanning systems in which a high energy light beam is required. Accordingly, there has been generally obtained a scanning light beam having a high energy by synthesizing laser beams emitted by a plurality of semiconductor lasers into a single laser beam.
However, in order to effectively synthesize a plurality of laser beams emitted by a plurality of semiconductor lasers into a single laser beam having a high energy, each of the semiconductor lasers must be precisely held in a predetermined position so that the laser beam emitted thereby precisely travels along a predetermined path. Generally, each semiconductor laser is fixed to a support such as a heat sink by way of a semiconductor laser mount. Conventionally, the semiconductor laser mount is fixed to the support by adhesive applied to the mating surfaces of the mount and the support substantially over the entire area thereof. However, the adhesive is apt to shrink in volume and the semiconductor mount to be displaced from the predetermined position due to the shrinkage of the adhesive. Further, when unevenness in the thickness of the adhesive layer exists due to unevenness in the coating thickness or shrinkage of the adhesive, the semiconductor mount is liable to be inclined, thereby inclining the optical axis of the laser beam emitted by the semiconductor laser mounted by the mount.